Team of Eight

I’m one of those folks who can’t quite get over the fact that Pluto has been demoted from planet to dwarf planet. I’m not a complete fanatic; I haven’t cried over it and I haven’t written any poison pen letters to Neil deGrasse Tyson whose Hayden Planetarium was the first to build an exhibit with the Pluto demotion for all the world to see. Although to be completely honest, I DO own a t-shirt that says “Pluto. Revolve in Peace. 1930-2006.”

I was not thinking about Pluto this morning until I went to the post office to replenish my postage stamp stock. They know me pretty well there and know that I’m always looking for new and fun stamps. When I said I needed stamps today, the clerk said, “Oh I have some new ones to show you.” and pulled out some national park stamps and also a sheet of stamps with the eight planets. They’ve very pretty but I couldn’t resist a “poor Pluto” comment.

The clerk laughed and said “Wait, you’ll appreciate this” as he disappeared into the back. A minute later he returned with a four-stamp sheet with Pluto and the New Horizons spacecraft (the one that did the close flyby of Pluto recently). At this point I was laughing as well, knowing that I am clearly not the only one out there who is still mourning the loss of Pluto from our team of nine. Of course I had to buy a sheet of those as well. I’m not a stamp collector or saver but I might have to make an exception for the Pluto stamp!

39 thoughts on “Team of Eight”

At my age I should be cured of the idea that people are basically good and decent, but that stubborn little sprout keeps keeps coming back no matter how often I’m reminded that some people are clearly evil. I’m a sucker for stories like this one:

” Eva, a 10-year-old, applied to our summer fellowship program (the Paris Summer Innovation Fellowship) amidst mostly computer science Phds and seasoned urban designers. A summary of her pitch: “The streets of Paris are sad. I want to build a robot that will make them happy again. I’ve already starting learning how to code on Thymio robots, but I have trouble making it work. I want to join the program so the mentors can help me.” Here is my reply to her.

Dear Eva, The answer is yes. You have been selected as one of Paris’ first-ever Summer Innovation Fellows among an impressive pool of candidates from all across the world: accomplished urban designers, data scientists and hardware specialists. I love your project and agree that more should be done–through robotics or otherwise–to improve Paris’ streets and make them smile again.

I am writing to you personally because your application inspired me. There was nothing on the website that said the program was open to 10 year olds but–as you must have noticed–nothing that said that it was not. You’ve openly told us that you had trouble making the robot work on your own and needed help. That was a brave thing to admit, and ultimately what convinced us to take on your project. Humility and the willingness to learn in order to go beyond our current limitations are at the heart and soul of innovation.

It is my hope that your work on robotics will encourage more young girls all over the world–not just to code, but to be as brave as you, in asking for help and actively looking for different ways to learn and grow. More good news: I wrote to Thymio, the robotics company whose tech you use and asked if they could designate a specialist to personally help you. They have decided that that person will be their President himself. They will also be providing you their latest robot. Welcome aboard our spaceship, Eva. We’re very much looking forward to meeting you in person.

Ha! Let me count the ways! Bowls come to mind – I was not able to downsize much on my collection even with the move, partly because there are more cabinets here than there were in former house. Many are now waiting for a place in the new kitchen cupboards.

I have trouble with entering the digital world where I am expected to learn to operate high tech communications devices. I have finally learned to use texting. I do like having a cell phone and, of course, I do use email. However, some part of me wants to go back to a time when phones were simple devices that even an idiot could learn to use.

My 21-year old grandson, along with two of his cousins and my son, Steve, just returned from Quetico (it’s the primitive area of the BWCA). Upon his return, he wrote, “Leaving cells phones, computers, video games, social media, and fast food for five days has changed my life. I’m like myself better than I ever have before and have had the privilege of experiencing the core meaning of life on this planet”

This is embarrassing to discuss. For many years I was not able to put a good edge on a knife. I fell into the habit of buying new knives so I would have a sharp one (until it, too, got dull). And then I’d buy another. I have always had a knife or two that is sharp because it has never been used, and I intentionally set up my kitchen so there would be some “secret”: sharp knives that I knew about but visitors would not. Why? Because if they used one of my secret knives, those too would get dull.

When I moved I was ruthless in limiting what I would bring into my new life in Oregon (ask BiRT). In spite of my resolve to cut down, I brought close to 20 knives . . . and am tempted to get another.

many kitchen gadget stores where they sell the good pots like le creuset and silicone pot holders will sharpen knives for $4.00. sporting goods stores will do hunting knives if they are worth it.
nothing like a sharp knife

Financial documents, financial newsletters, tax returns, etc. Finally got rid of some stuff older than 10 years, but haven’t trimmed more than that yet.

I’ve also never gotten rid of a wine glass that wasn’t broken. I could throw a 6-course dinner for 12, serve a different wine with each course, and have a clean glass for each diner and each course.:-(

i was in northfield today doing college visits and the story of how the spanish speaking population has been made a big part of the comunity and the college bound rate is 90%+ ad all is good. on the way out of town was an old resturant that was obviously run my an authentic mexican cook empty parking lot. i noticed because it made me hungry but we were in a hurry. as we drove back to the freeway taco bell parking lot was packed a mere two blocks away

Feels like an ironic twist but it’s just the postal service making sure we don’t copy stamp designs off the internet and start printing our own stamps. Dale and I got the photos off the postal service site!

i have a hard time with gas over 29.9
candy bars being more than a nickle
new cars being over 10 thousand dollars
tennis shoes that are 100 dollars and college for 60 thousand a year.
my dad used to complain about penny candy costing a nickle an i didnt get it. i do now